Sebastien Loeb [Citroen Total WRT]:
"As is often the case in the heat of the action, today was no stroll. We had to be especially careful this morning because SS1 and SS2 were shrouded in thick fog and visibility was down to just a few metres! The heavy rain has also made the roads extremely slippery, with constant changes in the amount of grip available. At the pace we were going, we could easily have put a foot wrong and I was pleased when we made it back to service with just a small spin and a brush with a post to report!
"The set-up changes we made [in the mid-day service] were very beneficial. Once we found ourselves with a reasonably clear lead, we were able to lift a little. I am pleased with the way the day went but this rally is far from over. So much can still happen and the stages promise to stay treacherous all the way through to Sunday afternoon."
Chris Atkinson [Subaru WRT]:
"Today has been tough but I’m pleased with second place. I made a mistake on stage eight and we lost quite a bit of time so the gap to Petter is much smaller now. You really kick yourself when you give away that much time, but that’s what can happen in these conditions. Tomorrow we will have to push just as hard so it will be another tough day. It’s great for the team to have two cars in the top three, but Galli and Sordo are not so far behind, and we have seen how much things can change today, so it won’t be easy."
[Speaking in the mid-day service] “Third is a good start after this morning but it’s been a difficult start for everyone. It’s very muddy and with the fog and the rain we couldn’t see much. The surface is so loose and I’m not feeling totally comfortable on the mud and the ruts in the road so I can’t attack as much as I’d like. This afternoon the stages will have got more rutted so the guys will make some changes to the car in service and hopefully we’ll be able to push a little more.”
Petter Solberg [Subaru WRT]:
"We had some problems today, like everyone else, but we are in third place so it’s not bad at all. I didn’t feel comfortable in the conditions on the last loop of stages today and we lost a lot of time, but we will make some more changes tonight and then keep pushing hard tomorrow. The gaps are quite small so we have to push hard but we will see. The weather was such a big part today, and it will be totally different again tomorrow so we will do our best and see how it goes."
